Someone is finally giving Spigen SGP's GLAS.t glass screen protectors some competition. BodyGuardz has just rolled out Pure Glass ScreenGuardz for iPhone 4/4S ($40), with the exact same idea: instead using of a thin sheet of film to protect the iPhone's display from scratches, Pure is a custom-cut piece of glass that adheres to the screen. It appears that BodyGuardz wasn't only inspired by Spigen SGP, but actually took the exact same approach; other than pack-ins and price, we're hard pressed to find any significant difference between the two protectors.

Pure comes with an antibacterial moist wipe, microfiber cloth, and application tool. Once you’ve used the first two to clean the iPhone’s screen, peel off the protective backing from the glass, line it up using the Home button and earpiece as guides, and press down. The squeegee is used to remove large bubbles while smaller ones disappear on their own over the course of a day or so. While Pure isn’t intended to be removed and re-installed after initial installation, we were able to pull it off the phone in one piece.

Just like GLAS.t, Pure looks great on the face of the iPhone. It’s perfectly clear and doesn’t hinder the touchscreen performance one bit, although fingerprints are quite obvious; BodyGuardz’ oleophobic coating might be a little less impressive than Spigen SGP’s. As was the case with GLAS.t, the thickness of the glass does create compatibility issues with most cases that form protective lips, which is one of the solution’s biggest drawbacks. Another is the risk of chipping; during a brief period of testing, Pure didn’t have any issues, but after a week or two of normal use with GLAS.t, the exposed glass edges did begin to develop chips. Standard film protectors have their own problems, but cracking isn’t among them.

We were skeptical when we first received GLAS.t, yet ultimately ended up liking it. BodyGuardz’ Pure Glass ScreenGuardz has the same nice look and protective benefits, but there’s nothing that’s sets it apart from the original. For an additional $12 you don’t get anything else in the box or a better product; in fact, BodyGuardz leaves out the Home Button stickers that Spigen SGP packs in. So while Pure is a pretty good product, it earns only a limited recommendation. With GLAS.t available for less, there’s no reason to choose this version over the less expensive original.

Editors' Note: iLounge only reviews products in "final" form, but many companies now change their offerings - sometimes several times - after our reviews have been published.
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